Mechanism for applying plastic crowns to containers



MECHANISM FOR APPLYING-PLASTIC CROWNS TO CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 7, 1944 J- KANTOR No'v. 2, 1948.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Illll "lip M m w H ATTORNEYS Nov. 2, 1948. J. KANTOR 2,452,934

7 MECHANISM FOR APPLYING PLASTIC CRQWNS T0 CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 7, 1944 a Sheets-Sheet 2 29 INVENTOR.

20 JamasKanfoP.

' ATTORNEYS WOQdQMU Nov. 2, 1948. J. KANTOR 2,452,934

MECHANISM .FOR APPLYING PLASTIC GROWN S TO CONTAINERS IN VEN TOR.

Jameslfazziozz manda a/4% ATTORNEYS fiatented Nov. 2, 1948 2,452,934 FOR APPLYING PLASTIC MECHANISM CROWNS TO CONTAINERS James Kantor, Chicago, 111.,

Liquid Carbonic Corporation, corporation of Delaware assignor to The Chicago, 111., a

Original application January 11, 1943, Serial No. 471,986. Divided and this application February "7, 1944, Serial No. 521,321

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for applying crowns to bottles and other containers.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a crowning mechanism which is capable of'handling the type of plastic crowns which have been developed to take the place of metal crowns heretofore used.

The present type of plastic crown is thermal plastic and as a result must be heated to render the same sufficiently plastic for molding about the neck of the container prior to its placement on the container. With the material of the crown rendered sufficiently soft by heat, the crown may then be molded about the container. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for applying and securing the crown to the container while the crown is in its plastic stage.

More specifically, it is one invention to apply the crown to the neck of the container and mold the skirt of the crown around the bead of the bottle, maintaining the same in this position, until the crown has become set.

The present application is the division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 471,986, filed January 11, 1943, now Patent No. 2,432,163, issued December 9, 1947.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention I have illustrated embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a crowning machine embodying my invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the crown applying mechanism showing the crown chute;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the crown mechanism showing the crown in position on the container to be sealed;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a portion of the crown chute showing the heating medium;

Fig. 5 is a detailed longitudinal section of a modification of the crown applying mechanism; and I Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. s r

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated. I provide a rotary head I which is more or less of standard commercial form, which head is provided with a plurality of crowners 2 each of which is of the same construction and therefore a later description f one will be sufiicient. Each of these crowners, as it moves into position over the receptacle to be crowned, due to the rotary of the objects of the are screwed or bolted to movement of the head I, is adapted to place a crown on the receptacle. The rotary head is provided with a crown hopper 3, which delivers through a selected mechanism 4 into the crown chute 5. Through the medium of the selected mechanism 4 the crowns are delivered, one at a time, into the chute with the open side of the crown in a position to be deposited in the crowning mechanism with the open side directed toward the receptacle to be crowned. This chute 5 is provided with a guiding groove 6, see Fig. 4, along which the crowns are adapted to slide by gravity and the chute is pivoted, as at I, to the head to permit the lower end to swing in and out of position for delivering the crowns, one at a time, to a crown receiver of the mechanism. For directing the crowns into the mechanism, the lower end of the chute 5 has an inward curve, as at 3, with the delivery mouth of the chute disposed adjacent the crown receiver of the mechanism.

The chute groove 6 is covered by a suitable cover 9 which has arranged therein a series of resistance elements It! adapted to be embodied in suitable insulating material II. This cover is held in position on the chute through the medium of straps 12 which, at their outer extremities, the chute proper. In practice, I find it advantageous to make this cover portion in two sections such as l3 and 14. each section being provided with suitable binding posts 5 to which suitable electric wires may be attached for energizing the heating elements Ill in the cover. By this arrangement, I am enabled to obtain zones of dilierent temperatures throughout the length of the chute. Preferably, the upper zone has the highest heating capacity to quickly heat the crowner, the heat being maintained in the lower zone by the heating elements of that zone which has a lower heating capacity. It is-to be noted that the chute 5 is given a decided offset bend, as at it, so that the length of travel of the chute to its delivery point will be increased and so that the movement of the crowns through the chute will be somewhat retarded to permit more thorough heating of the crown prior to its delivery to the crowning mechanism. Furthermore, the heatingelements are more closely adjacent the sides of the chute so that primarily the skirt of the crown is heated in preference to heating the entire crown. Also by providing the bend in the chute there is a tendency for, the crown to rotate during its travel through the chute, thus more evenly distributing a sleeve '36 which-is locked which the housing I1 is adapted to be recipro cated vertically to move the crowning mechanism down to the crown receiving receptacle 2ilwhich is vertically stationary. This receptable usually is in the form of a bottle and, 'for'convenien'ce hereinafter, will be referred to as a bottle.

Mounted within the housing I! is arranged a hollow sleeve'2l which is adapted to-be moved into a projected position through the medium of a coil spring hearing at its upper end against a ring 2'3 seated on a shoulder 24 in the housing IT. The lower end of this spring bears "o'n an an'nular flange 25 carried at the lowerendof'th'e sleeve Zl. -'By this arrangement, the sleeve reciprocates with the housing i"? and can also moverelatively thereto.

This housing 'l-l, 'at its lower end, carries a crown receiver-'26 which is provided with a central opening 'ZB'of sufiicient'diameter to permit the passage therethrough'of the neck of the bottle. The wall of this opening 28 has formed thereon an annular shoulder "29 "to provide a crown support. The side wall of the receiver 26 is provided with an opening =30, through which the crowns maybe fedfrom thedelivery end of the chute on to the supporting shoulder 29. The walls of the opening '28 :are flared, as at 27, to provide a bell shaped throat toguide-the-neck of the bottle into the opening 28. As the crown receiver moves downwardly with the housing H, the neckof the bottle will pass through the-open ing 28 receiving a crown in its passage. It is to be understood that during the reciprocating movement .of-the crowning mechanism, the chute is swung outwardly to clear its lower end from the crowning mechanism.

Within the sleeve 2! is a crown moulding mechanism comprising a plurality of segmental members 3| which, together, form a complete circular contractible throat, the lower end of which tapers slightly outward as'at 32 and terminates'with an annular inturned lip '33 and an'annular outward cammed surface 34. Surrounding this throat, and within'the lower end of a screw threaded cap 35 on the sleeve Ziyis against vertical 'mo've ment by a collar 31 abutting against'a shoulder on the-cap 35 and against the lower end of the sleeve 2|. 'I'he'upper portion of the segmental moulding mechanism Si is provided witha longitudinal groove 39 which receives an annular flange 46 on a plunger "4|. This plu-nger il is mounted within the sleeve 2| andis bia'sed in a downward direction through the medium of a coil spring t2 surrounding the plunger and hearing at its upper end against .a shoulder in the sleeve 2| and at its lower end against "an annular shoulder 43 on the plunger.

I'I'he sleeve-2l has longitudinal slots in-itssides which receive a pair of retaining dogs 44 pivoted at 45 to the sleeve and having their-noses 46 adapted to engage in a groove formedbetween the rings 23. Normally the sleeve is maintained in its raised position against the-influenceof'the coiled spring 22 through the engagement-of the dogs in the notch formed in" the rings 23. These 22 surrounding the sleeve and I dogs are maintained in their engaging positions through a head 41 of the plunger 4| which fits between the upper portions of the dog and is held in this position through the influence of thecolled spring 42.

'In operation, while the brown-mechanism is in its raised position a heated crown is delivered EQII the seat 29 of the crown receiver. Immediately after the heated, and thus softened crown, -isdelivered imposition, the housing 9! commences to descend. This moves the crowning mechanism down over the-bottle 20 until the bottle has passed --through the opening of the crown receiver and 'intoitlie crown forcing the crown, now seated on the top of the bottle, against the plunger 4! ar- "res'ting the downward movement of the plunger biit permitting the continued downward movement'of the housing I! with the crowning throat thereby moving the portion 47 of the plunger from between the dogs 46, releasing the dogs and permitting the sleeve 2 I, underthe-iniiuence of -the-coiled-spring 2; and the downwardmovement of the housing I 'l, to be forced downwardly thereby moving the crown throat vdownwardlyito surround the-neck of the bottle. The continued downward movement of the housing If! engages the cam sides 48 of'the sleeve 36 with-the .cam portion 34 of the throat contracting the throat and forcing .the segments-of the throat inward, causing the lips '33 to engage the sidesof the crown, .as illustrated in Fig.3, molding .the sids of the crown aroundthe lip of the bottle. "There is a sufficient pause after this has been 'ac dofnpli-shed and during theupwardmov'emnt'df the housing 'I to permit the plastic 'crownlto sea-1 in this position. Due 'to the fact :thattl'ie lip 33 on the crown throat moves in "'h'eneathfthe edge of the crownand squeezes the e'dg'e'arollnd the head of the bottle retainingthesai'ne this position, with the sides of th'e'throat bearing against the'sides of the crown and 'preveiitin'g'the crown from cold flowing'orfspreading'out 'a'sth'e plasticjmaterial under the b'eadis forced'inp'osition. By the time th'e'parts are ready "to'inov'e to their upward position, thus releasin'gthe's'trfucture, the crown has become suiiicientlycooied, due to the lapse of time and also dueftof t'h'e absorption of the heat from thecrowh bytlie crown throat, the crown is set in positionoathe neck of the bottle.

With the plungerdl in-itsnormal or'projec'td position, the annular'fiange is'at 'the bottom of the recess or groove 39 of each -of the sgments 31 forming the-contractilole-crownreceiving throat. Therefore, this throat"- is maintained in itsexpanded position. As "the container, with its positioned crown, moves into the threat-it forces the plunger d-l upwardly," thereby inovihg the 'tlangeftilupwar'dly i-n'the grooves 39 'u'n'til the flange-4o is substantially at the top 'of tlie segments "3i. Due to the teat "that the flange itiis so close-to thetoplof the segments "=31, the lower ends of these segments'may swing inwardly under'the camming action of the ring or 'sleeve 36. It is thus apparent that the segments 3| *are maintained intlreini'expande'd position u'nti-lthe bead of the bottle or container hasmo'ivd into the throat, formed bythe segmentsto afpolnt beyond the inturned lips 33.

InFig. -5 I have illustrated a modification of the structure illustrated in the'remain-ing-figures. It will be=noted in the-structure illustrated Figs. 2 and-.3, the ring--36 is asolid-ring. In the structure illustrated inFig. 5 this ring-is-ior-med of .a-plurality of segments, which together form a complete ring. The segments are held in position by a suitable retaining spring 50. In other respects, the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 is substantially the same as that illustrated in Fig. 2. Due to this arrangement the crown throat will more readily adjust itself to the tops of the bottles, especially where there is a slight variation in the size of the tops of the bottles. However, the surrounding springs 56 are sufiiciently powerful to exert a closing pressure and cause the throat to collapse about the crown as is done in the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a receptacle crowning apparatus, in combination, a crowning throat comprising a plurality of elongated segments arranged about a common axis, each rockable on a horizontal axis to move the lower ends of said segments toward and away from said common axis and each of said segments having an inturned lip at its lower end and thus providing a capping throat for receiving the neck of a container expandible and con tractible at its lower end, said throat and receptacle being reciprocable relatively to one another, a plunger reciprocable in said throat and engageable with a crown on a receptacle, means on said plunger for normally maintaining said throat in its expanded condition and movable with said plunger as it moves relatively to said throat to release said segments to permit said throat to contract, and means for contracting said throat after said segments have been released.

2. In a receptacle crowning apparatus, in combination, a sleeve, a crown crimping throat comprising a plurality of lever arms rockably supported within said sleeve about the axis of said sleeve, each of said lever arms having an inturned lip at its lower end and forming an expandible and contractible throat, a plunger reciprocable within said throat and an annular shoulder on said plunger normally engaging said levers at a point beyond their rocking points to maintain said throat in its expanded position and movable with said plunger to a point adjacent the rockable points of the levers to permit the lower end of said levers to move toward the axis of said throat to contract the same, and means for moving the lower ends of said levers inwardly when released by said plunger.

3. In a receptacle crowning apparatus, in combination, a crowning throat comprising a plurality of elongated segments arranged about a common axis and each rockable on a horizontal axis to move the lower ends of said segments towards and from said common axis to move an expandible and contractible throat, each of said segments having an inturned lip at its lower end, means associated with said throat for maintaining a crown on the receptacle to be :crowned, means operated by said maintaining means for holding said throat in its expanded condition for a predetermined period and means forj'contracting said throat after said holding meanshas released the same.

. 4. In a receptacle crowning machine for applying crowns having a down-turned skirt to the neck of a container having an annular bead thereon, in combination, a reciprocating supporting member, a crown receiver supported at the lower end of said reciprocating supporting memher, said crown receiver having an opening therethrough, a crown rest on said crown receiver surrounding said opening whereby as the container isprojected through the opening the crown will be deposited thereon, a plunger operated by the reciprocating movement of said reciprocating supporting member for clamping'the crown upon the top of the receptacle, a contractable throat movable by the reciprocation of said reciprocating suporting member to receive thecrown and the neck of the receptacle, said contractable throat comprising a plurality of segments surrounding said plunger, each of said segments having at its lower end an inturned lip, means on said plunger for normally holding said segments radially outward, and reciprocating means movable relatively to said segments and engaging the lower ends of said segments for moving the same inwardly, said means on said plunger for holding the segments outwardly being simultaneously movable to release said segments and permitting the inward movement thereof.

JAMES KANTOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,078,607 Calleson Nov. 18, 1913 1,094,163 Nissinen et al Apr. 21, 1914 2,146,347 Pityo Feb. 7, 1939 2,169,804 Kniesche Aug. 15, 1939 2,274,583 Baum Feb. 24, 1942 2,325,050 Goodwin July 27, 1943 2,325,086 Vore July 27, 1943 2,325,309 De Swart July 27, 1943 

